Muslims are required to pray five times a day, but for too many
of us these are little more than physical movements devoid of any
spirit or divine connection? In contrast, the Prophet characterised prayer as "the spiritual ascent
(mi'raj) of the believer." In a modern world of constant distraction,
how are we to achieve the communion with the Divine that prayer is
supposed to be? How can we reach the state of the Prophet who would
ask his Companion Bilal to give the call to prayer with the expression:
"Give us repose through it, O Bilal."
The present short but valuable work provides us with the answer.
Dr Bassam Saeh, a scholar of the Arabic language, casts a refreshing
new perspective on prayer in the modern context. With practical
examples, and in contemporary idiom, he charts a path for the
seeker of God's pleasure to attain a deeper sense of consciousness
and devotion in prayer. The short chapters of this work are designed
to be read and reread as constant reminders for us to renew our
commitment to the Divine in our prayer.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
"I read this book on a train journey and every five minutes I looked up from the book to share ... bits from [it]. There were so many gems" - gildeddunya.com
"From the one who struggles to do their daily Salah to the one who never misses them, we all still struggle to make each and every Salah meaningful and full of khushu. This book is great for both kinds of people." - gildeddunya.com
Sprache
Verlagsort
Produkt-Hinweis
Illustrationen
Maße
Höhe: 194 mm
Breite: 127 mm
Dicke: 9 mm
Gewicht
ISBN-13
978-0-86037-715-3 (9780860377153)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Dr. Bassam Saeh holds a BA in Arabic literature from Damascus University, Syria, and an MA & PhD in modern Arabic poetry from Cairo University. He has been Head of the Arabic Department in Tishreen University, Syria (1977) and has taught in a number of other universities, including: Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Oxford. He was the founder and principal of Oxford Academy for Advanced Studies (1990 2005). He has been presenter of several radio and TV programs and author of several books, the latest: Muslims Facing Islam, Christians Facing Christianity (Legacy Publishing, 2008).
CONTENTS
Supplication
1. An Appointment with God
2. 'And this, indeed, is a hard act...': But Why?
3. From Duty to Privilege
4. The Satisfaction of Waking up Early for Prayer
5. The Joy of Patient Perseverance
6. Why Do we Pray?
7. The Rhythm of Prayer and the Rhythm of Life
8. Variety: The First Lesson in Civilisation
9. The Call to Prayer and its Ten Wonders
10. The Two Ritual Ablutions
11. Communal Prayer:The Key to Advancement and Civilisation
12.The Friday Khutbah (Sermon): A Course in Development
13. The Five Lines of Prayer
14. Red Key No. 1: 'God is Greater'
15. Reading, Reciting and Chanting
16. The New Language of the Qur'an
17. Open Language and 'Fertile Spaces'
18. The Role of the Fatihah
19. Red Key No. 2: 'You alone do we worship, and unto You alone do we turn for aid'
20. The Centrality of Bowing and Prostration
21. Red Key No. 3: 'Blessed Greeting to God'
22. Red Key No. 4: 'Peace be upon us...'
23. A Session for Supplication and Private Worship
24. Computing Profits and Losses
25. Let Your Whole Life be a Prayer
Endnotes
Index
